7. Rauma’s dialect and literature

As you walk down Kuninkaankatu, you can find several honorary plates relating to Rauma’s literary history. In Kuninkaankatu 38, there is a plate marking HJ. Nortamo’s childhood home. When you continue west, you can find more literature-related honorary plates. In the corner of Kuninkaankatu and Isopoikkikatu, the Tonttla and Pakila plot, you can find the honorary plates for Tauno and Unto Koskela.

Nortamo was a writer, known for his writings which are written in the dialect of Rauma, but he also worked as a professor and a medical doctor. Nortamo is known for his series of ‘Raumlaissi jaarituksi’ (‘Yarns from Rauma’). Nortamo became a writer only later in his life, and ‘Antonim bäev’, the first part of his ‘Raumalaissi jaarituksi’ series, was published in 1898 in Rauma’s yacht club journal. He published his first collection in 1906, and it was the first literary work in Finland written in a dialect. Nortamo is best known for his lyrics in ‘Meripoikkatte veis sanat’, a song which is still often heard today.

Unto Koskela, one of the Koskela brothers, passed away young. He published his first collection of poems ‘Purjeet sumussa’ when he was 22 years old. The poems include realistic and imaginative depictions of the sea. Perhaps his best-known poem is ‘Kuubalainen serenadi’, which has been interpreted by many Finnish popular music singers. Unto’s brother Tauno was blessed with a longer life, and he is known as the ”Raumangiälem brofessori” (‘professor of the Rauma dialect’). He taught the dialect of Rauma in an open college and published a Rauma dialect dictionary called ‘Sillail oikke’.

According to the honorary plates for the Koskela brothers, what do people in Rauma love the most?

Write the correct word in the poem (18) as well.

Christmas exhibition at the Nordberg book store in 1904. Photo: Rauma museum